Michael Jordan breaks another record: his jersey from the 1998 Finals sells for 14 million dollars

Michael Jordan continues to make history even decades after his retirement. A jersey from the Chicago Bulls worn and signed by the American legend during the 1998 NBA Finals has been sold for 14 million dollars, in a private transaction that sets a new record for a basketball-related collectible.

The auction house Hunt Auctions announced on Monday the sale of the red jersey and identified the buyer as Ron Firman, a real estate investor from Miami. The garment corresponds to the second game of the Finals against the Utah Jazz, played on June 5, 1998, when Jordan and the Bulls claimed victory to tie the series at one win for each team.

That season turned out to be one of the most iconic chapters in NBA history. Chicago defeated Utah in six games and secured their sixth ring, the last of Jordan's career. A campaign that gained even more popularity with the premiere in 2020 of The Last Dance, the ten-episode documentary series that reviewed the last season of the legendary team.

A 14 million dollar jersey that surpasses all basketball records

The transaction further demonstrates that items linked to Michael Jordan have become pieces of immense value for collectors. David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, highlighted the evolution of the market and compared the interest in these items to that of great works of art.

“The importance of Michael Jordan within the sports collectibles market has long been established, but now it has reached an elite asset category, more akin to iconic works of art,” Hunt stated in the press release issued by the auction house.

Although the 14 million dollars represent a record for a basketball-related collectible, the jersey does not hold the top position among sports jerseys used in competition that have sold for million-dollar amounts.

That honor belongs to a jersey worn by Babe Ruth, a legend of the New York Yankees, which fetched 24.12 million dollars in 2024. The garment was linked to the historic homerun known as called shot, which Ruth hit against the Chicago Cubs during the third game of the 1932 World Series.

Three jerseys from the 1998 Finals surpass 10 million

What’s remarkable is that this is not the first Jordan jersey from those Finals to reach an astronomical figure. The demand for memorabilia from his last season with Chicago has fueled several million-dollar transactions in recent years.

In 2022, a jersey worn during the first game of the 1998 Finals sold at auction for approximately 10.1 million dollars. More recently, another jersey corresponding to the third game of that series fetched around 12.3 million dollars in an auction held last month.

The private sale of 14 million thus represents a new milestone in the appreciation of Jordan-related items. The jersey acquired by Firman had been originally purchased from the Bulls by a private collector in 2003. According to Hunt Auctions, it had only changed hands once since then, allowing for a relatively limited ownership history.

The buyer himself expressed satisfaction with the acquisition. “Michael Jordan was an incredibly talented player, admired around the world. I am very excited about the purchase,” Firman stated in the press release.

Jordan's sneakers also reach million-dollar figures

The interest of collectors is not limited to jerseys. In 2023, a pair of Air Jordans worn by the former player in the second game of those same Finals against Utah sold for 2.2 million dollars through Sotheby's.

At that time, the sale was presented as a world record for sneakers sold at auction.

The combination of Jordan's last season with the Bulls, the sixth championship, and the player’s sports legacy has made any authentic item related to that campaign a particularly sought-after piece.

More than two decades after his farewell to Chicago, Michael Jordan's figure continues to generate extraordinary numbers. The 14 million dollars paid for his jersey not only reflect the magnitude of his legacy in the NBA but also the growing significance of sports collecting as an investment market.